This invention relates to a backpack style apparatus for carrying children. More particularly it relates to a shoulder supported apparatus to transport an infant or small child on the chest area of the care provider, whereby the infant may be facing forward or backward, toward the care provider. The device features improvements that are applicable to provide improvement to current conventional infant carriers as well as used in combination to yield the preferred embodiment of the disclosed device. In addition to other disclosed features, the disclosed device features improved shoulder strap configuration to provide a pivot to the carrier when the user bends over from a standing position and also features a retractable infant seat portion that may be stored in a closeable pocket when the device is used on a larger child.
This device as herein disclosed and described provides a new and unique combination of utility from one or a combination of improved components. The best mode of the device would of course feature all of the disclosed improved components, however, the components by themselves, in selective combinations, or in combination with conventional infant carriers, would also yield increased safety, utility, and function for such carriers and use in combination with existing carriers is anticipated.
One component providing great utility to the user is the addition of an infant seat insert which provides a strong and stable seat for carrying newborn infants. As in the growing athletic environment where hiking is a common healthy family activity, small light carriers do not suffice. Some children, even though they can walk, enjoy the close contact of a parent, where often they will be carried on the shoulders. With this device a child can be turned facing forward or backward, producing a more enjoyable and safer activity. There is a pressing need for an infant carrier with the durability and strength to carry a larger child of 40 pounds or more, on long hikes. When weights of this magnitude are carried for any appreciable distance, the weight must remain centered on the torso of the body, and distributed evenly. The disclosed device herein more than adequately fills the need for an athletic style infant carrier, using extra wide reciprocating shoulder straps which laterally translate during movement by the user in their cross mount with a large padded back support piece.
U.S. Pat. No. 178,309 (Bichelor) teaches an infant carrier formed of a soft body having a back section for supporting the back of an infant, and spaced apart side sections and side bolsters for supporting the sides of an infant. This is a light duty infant carrier for transporting small infants for a short period of time. This device has been designed for carrying the infant facing the care provider, with lightly cushioned straps bearing down on the shoulders.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,687 (Nunemacher) describes a baby pouch which supports an infant in the front of the care provider. This is another light device for carrying a small infant for a short time period. This unit has thin shoulder straps with a single cushioned pad bearing directly on the back of the neck.
U.S. Pat No. 5,772,088 (Nelson) teaches an infant carrier including a sack of flexible sheet material dimensioned to receive an infant. This is yet, another light duty apparatus for transporting a very small infant and requires the care provider to lift the infant down into the carrier. This action of lowering the infant down into the carrier is easily accomplished with small infants, but becomes difficult or impossible as the child increases in size.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,828 (Raedel) describes another light infant carrier but lacks shoulder cushions and the ability to provide even weight distribution of the load on the user especially when used for long periods.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,326 (Storm) teaches a sling type infant carrier, wherein an infant generally xe2x80x9changsxe2x80x9d at the crotch of the user. In this apparatus the infant""s arms and legs constrained from moving freely. Further, the weight of the infant is borne primarily on the shoulders of the person wearing the carrier, thereby inducing neck and shoulder strain.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,637 (Columbo) reveals a waist-mounted infant carrier, wherein the infant sits on a seat structure into a belt worn around the waist of the wearer. Although the infant sits comfortably on the seat structure, and the weight of the infant is borne primarily on the waist and lower back of the wearer. Further, the carrier lacks straps to secure the infant against the body of the wearer, thus requiring the wearer to constantly hold the infant. At least one arm of the wearer must hold the infant in the carrier.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,604 (Nagareda)describes a front pack infant carrier, wherein an infant sits on a padded rectangular seat of flexible material and is secured against the body of the wearer by a thin, horizontal strap. The weight of the infant is thus borne primarily by the shoulders of the person wearing the infant carrier.
As such, there is a continuing need for new and improved for an infant carrier and components that may individually or in combination be added to existing carriers, that allows adjustment for the size of the infant being carried. Additionally, such a carrier should provide for even distribution of the weight of the child to the upper body of the user and should provide a strap system that allows the carrier straps to reciprocate during use to lessen the shock to occupant and user during movement. Still further, such a carrier should easily allow a manner to keep the child in the carrier in a substantially upright position when the user bends over during use and should provide easy ingress and egress of the child from the carrier during use.
This disclosed device relates to an infant carrier which will adapt to the size of the intended infant to be carried using a retractable seat insert. In addition to providing a secure mount for infants, the device features components which render it capable of holding and removing a child up to forty pounds or more depending upon the strength of the care provider. The weight of the occupant situated in the carrier is translated through two wide webbing straps attached at both ends to the device and communicating therebetween over the shoulders of the user. The two straps are constructed to cross the back of the user in an xe2x80x9cXxe2x80x9d crossover and communicated through two tracks formed in a cushioned one piece back support unit by perpendicular straps at the edges of the back support forming the tracks. The straps communicated through the back support unit in such a fashion as to laterally translate or reciprocate between two points in the tracks formed in the back support unit. This reciprocating action during use provides shock absorption of the load on the user as well as helping reduce shoulder strain.
The straps communicating from the top of the device to attachment at the bottom translate over both shoulders and feature strap-mounted cushions to protect the shoulders of the care provider from chaffing during use and provide easier adjusting of the straps to distribute the weight to the central part of the back, below the neck. The straps are attached to the back support unit at the lower extremity, allowing the straps to shift over the cushioned areas of the shoulders.
The infant carrier body support panel portion of the device is best comprised of moisture resistant foam filled fabric due to the inherent hazards of carrying very young children for long periods of time. The carrier body support panel portion features a unique shape whereby the upper portion may be folded up and attached to the shoulder straps by means of claps to rings affixed at varying portions on the shoulder straps to provide a means of adjustment of the upper portion of the carrier to support a small infants head or a larger child""s back. Means of adjustment of strap length to accommodate the varying size of the infant are made by moving one or both clasps up or down on their respective attachment to the shoulder straps.
The body support panel portion adjacent to the head support panel of the infant carrier is generally triangular in shape with clasps affixed to the upper two corners for removable and adjustable attached to any of the plurality of rings affixed to the two shoulder straps. Midway down the angular infant carrier a belt is provided for the user that when affixed properly, wraps around the occupant""s waist, with a length adjustment and quick release buckle of one side.
The lower seat portion or crotch area of the infant carrier is connected to two waist belts of tubular belting material which wrap around the care provider and removably attach using cooperating fasteners, to the distal end of the shoulder straps which exit their path through the back support unit. Adjustment to the length of the two waist belts may be made by the user by pulling on the distal end of the belt that communicates through the cooperating fastener affixed to the distal end of the belts. At the attachment of the waist belts to the seat portion a cushioning material is provided that keeps the belts from chaffing the inner thigh of the occupant.
A fabric hinge of sorts is formed using various components of the device to cause the lower end of the infant carrier to move away from the user""s waist when the user bends over in a pendulum fashion, thus keeping the infant substantially upright. This fabric hinge is formed by a stiffener sewn into the waist belts immediately adjacent to the cushioning material which intersects a substantially perpendicular strap communicating between the waist belt and the lower end of the front of the harness. The stiffener sections on the waist belt and the inherent stiffness of the cushioned section form a fabric hinge at their mutual intersection which collapses when the user is upright and extends when the user bends over causing the bottom of the device to pendulum out away from the user when bending over.
The shoulder strap connecting belts are sewn to the ends of the shoulder straps at the front, with a length adjustment on each. A unique substantially 90xc2x0 cushioned bend is sewn in the shoulder strap connecting belt that makes the belt conform more comfortably to the upper torso of the care provider. The series of rings sewn on the front of the shoulder straps allows the lower portion of the infant carrier to be adjusted to a number of different positions of comfort for the occupant and the care provider. The rings also allow the upper portion of the infant carrier to be folded down behind the lower portion and attached with the clasps to shorten the support area or add head support by putting the upper portion in place. Snaps have been added to the shoulder straps for the attachment of convenience items such as bibs, baby bottle holders and toys. The length adjustment of the shoulder connecting belts and the waist belts allow the care provider to achieve a comfortable fit no matter what their size. To put on the infant carrier it must be raised up and over the head of the care provider and lowered to rest on the shoulders, and the waist belt buckle engaged.
For removal, the buckle on the waist belt is released and the device is then raised over the head for removal. The preferred method of inserting and removing the infant would be to have the care provider in the sitting position, releasing the shoulder strap clasps, and laying the infant carrier open in the lap. The infant is positioned on the carrier facing either up or down, then raised with the carrier, while attaching the clasps to the rings on the shoulder straps.
The carrier is also able to accommodate a wide range of newborn infants with implementation of the infant insert which is an insert into the support panel. The infant insert is best made of soft, water repellent, cushioned fabric, to be used when the infant is small and may slide to either side of the support panel. The insert has two holes for the legs of the infant to go through for seating therein. To mount the insert in the device and a belt at the back is provided to encircle the lower portion of the support panel. Other means of removable attachment might also be used such as snaps or hook and loop fabric so long as the attachment achieved is secure.
In the depicted embodiment of FIG. 3 a means of attachment to the body support panel is provided at both sides of the top side of the insert are sleeves that the clasps and the triangular ends of the lower portion of the carrier are fed through prior to attachment to the rings on the shoulder straps. Additional support is achieved with the waist belt of the support panel. However hook and loop fabric might also be used as a means of attachment.
It is an object of this invention to provide a versatile and adjustable lightweight carrier that is comfortable for both the infant and the care provider.
Another object of this invention is to provide a carrier product that may be used over a longer period of time for one infant by provision of size adjustability.
Still another object of the invention the provision of an infant carrier with removably or retractable inserts that may vary depending upon the size of the intended occupant.
As noted, other infant carriers described herein disclose similar frontal, lightweight carrying devices with thin straps going over the neck and shoulders. These carriers may be adequate with small infants, but with a larger child they tend to bear heavily on the trapezius muscles of the neck and shoulders of the care provider, and with excessive use, may cause permanent damage. A much greater weight can be carried safely and comfortably when centered on the upper torso of the body, uniformly spread over a wider area of the back and shoulders, and kept away from the neck using the disclosed device and components thereof.